Scraper vacuum device

ABSTRACT

A scraping vacuum device for removing latex covering that includes: a scraping blade at a first end of the vacuum device, where said scraping blade includes a scraping edge and an inside edge; a handle at a second end of the vacuum device; a residue tank within said handle; a vacuum motor positioned at the inside edge of the metal blade, where said motor generates a vacuum; a hose, where said hose leads out to an opening near the edge of the blade, and said vacuum suctions residue accumulated by use of the scraping blade through the opening into the hose, said hose leads into the tank; a connection mechanism, where said connection mechanism connects the handle to the hose; and a power supply for providing power to the vacuum motor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a small miniature vacuum device that is utilized in removing lottery ticket latex covering and the resulting residue during the use thereof

2. Description of Related Art

Gambling is a recreational pastime for many individuals especially since gambling has been legalized in many states in some form. High stakes gambling may include various card games, dice, roulette or other casino-based games. Slot machines of all levels are also available at many casinos. One of the most common and pervasive forms of gambling however involves lotteries. Government operated lotteries generate significant revenue for many states and many individuals buy tickets risking a few dollars to win big. Lotteries may involve various games that provide players with numerous ways to win money. Some lottery games require a player to pick a series of numbers that may ultimately be winning numbers in any daily or weekly drawing. Other lottery games involve tickets that are sold that involve matching a combination of numbers or winning positions on what has been called a scratch off ticket. Scratch off tickets include a latex covering over a sequence of numbers or other matching figures where the covering may be removed from the card by scratching the covering off of the ticket. A player may purchase the scratch off ticket and then the scratchable area is removed to reveal if the ticket is a winning or losing ticket.

Many individuals play scratch off games as a form of recreation and low stakes gambling. If an individual is an active or frequent scratch off card player then the individual could actually develop a significant amount of the residue associated with the scratch off tickets while playing multiple games. It would be advantageous to have a device that could be utilized by a scratch off lottery ticket player that could remove the covering and also gather the residue that accumulates while the covering is being removed from the ticket. Some miniature vacuum devices have been developed in the prior art such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,897 that discloses a self-contained vacuum pencil for aspirating articles and fluids from confined spaces that includes a pencil like barrel adapted to be held by the hand of the user with a plunger that moveably actuates the vacuum function. Another example of a small manual suction device includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,608 that discloses a portable handheld manual operated suction device for capturing small objects such as insects or solder.

The miniature vacuum devices of the prior art include manual means of actuation and theoretically may be used to collect latex residue from lottery tickets, however the prior art devices were developed prior to the advent of scratch off ticket lottery games. Consequently, a more convenient device may be helpful to lottery game players.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a scraping vacuum device for removing latex covering comprising: a scraping blade at a first end of the vacuum device, where said scraping blade includes a scraping edge and an inside edge; a handle at a second end of the vacuum device; a residue tank within said handle; a vacuum motor positioned at the inside edge of the metal blade, where said motor generates a vacuum; a hose, where said hose leads out to an opening near the edge of the blade, and said vacuum suctions residue accumulated by use of the scraping blade through the opening into the hose, said hose leads into the tank; a connection means, where said connection means connects the handle to the hose; and a power means for providing power to the vacuum motor. In one exemplary embodiment, the power means may include a battery. The connection means may include either a screw on means or a clip on means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a scraper vacuum device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a scraping and vacuum device that is utilized to assist a lottery player in playing scratch off ticket lottery games. The present invention provides a scraping edge that removes the latex covering of a scratch off ticket and includes a vacuum function that suctions the residue as it is removed from the ticket. The scraping vacuum device according to the present invention is a unique device that assists an avid lottery game player in working with multiple scratch off games without dealing with excessive amounts of residue that could be produced by a frequent player thereof.

The scraping vacuum device according to the present invention is depicted in FIG. 1. The scraping vacuum device includes a scraping blade 12 at one end thereof and a residue tank 21 at the opposite end thereof. A user grabs the vacuum device at the tank end when using the scraping device. A vacuum motor 15 positioned inside the edge of the metal blade 12 generates the vacuum. A hose 17 leads out to an opening near the edge of the blade 12 and suctions the residue as it is accumulated while scratching the lottery ticket. The vacuum motor 15 suctions residue through the opening near the blade 12 and moves the residue through the hose 17 into the tank 21. The tank 21 is enclosed within a handle 25 that provides a means for the user to handle and manipulate the vacuum device according to the present invention.

The vacuum device according to the present invention includes a connection point 23. The connection point 23 allows for the removal of the tank 21 in order to dispose of the residue once the tank 21 is full. The connection point 23 may be provided by either a screw or a clip-on attachment means. The vacuum device according to the present invention provides the means to scrape the lottery ticket and to collect the residue so that the latex residue is not haphazardly discarded while scratching off the lottery ticket. The vacuum 15 may be powered by a battery and generates suction for the movement of the fragments through the hose 17. Although the present invention has been described for use with scratch off lottery tickets, other types of scratch off cards may be conducive for use with the vacuum device according to the present invention. Latex ink is a covering used to cover some other games of chance and concealment cards that are used in marketing, raffles or other instances. The instant invention has been shown and described in what it considers to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made there from within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. 

1. A scraping vacuum device for removing latex covering comprising: a. a scraping blade at a first end of the vacuum device, where said scraping blade includes a scraping edge and an inside edge; b. a handle at a second end of the vacuum device; c. a residue tank within said handle; d. a vacuum motor positioned at the inside edge of the metal blade, where said motor generates a vacuum; e. a hose, where said hose leads out to an opening near the edge of the blade, and said vacuum suctions residue accumulated by use of the scraping blade through the opening into the hose, said hose leads into the tank; f. a connection means, where said connection means connects the handle to the hose; and g. a power means for providing power to the vacuum motor.
 2. The scraping vacuum device according to claim 1, wherein said power means includes a battery.
 3. The scraping vacuum device according to claim 1, wherein said connection means includes at least one of a screw on means and a clip on means.
 4. The scraping vacuum device according to claim 1, wherein said residue includes a latex-covering residue.
 5. The scraping vacuum device according to claim 4, wherein said scraping edge provides a means for removing said latex covering from a card. 